Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-05-08

ceoae. (whieA woald iaaslf haTa expire
n next Mayl e re1Ards British Calum
oia, heing fully aaihorinod b 20 90 b
tie terms Of the license itself, wheneVu
uew eol0ny h osnstttaied."
Tm FRAsza HEvxR xxczrxMrxr AN uLuu
TnATIcN OF nkrxna 0oxEzx,EEExAL
Fox1cx 70 HEn owN sUnxEcrs AND
70 orHxR NATIONS.
Oee Of The immediats and direca re
salta Of tie Fraser river excitsment, an.
which never eoald have been 80 well u
lnstr1ted bat fer thai historic episodl
oresttnR The necessity Of sush q rsxala
tion. q an expose Of British polic,
fraaght with vast interest and fnli oi
instruction. How plainly Il exhibitet
the stFictness with which that var
Government acts IN her iirest dealings
With heR Own subjects, sad What she ex
acts from ether nations a. due 10 ths
same subjects under q precisely similar
condition Of claim. How marked TIE
contrast between rights Of the Hudson's
Bay Company growing out Of their sur
suit Of trade In American territory, IN
der the License Of Trade Of 1883, when
eoughA 10 be enforoed a. against The
United States. and the obligations re-.
oRnined as due 10 the same Company
growing ont Of eo-temporansons pre-
eence under the same license. In q p0r-
tioa OF the same region which hnd BE-
come British Territory, and the British
Govsrnmsnt had become the party 70
constEue the contract. The grant,
though eontinuing until Mar, 1859, vas
revoked In British Territory by the
British crown In The summer Of la5S.
And that Government denied any ha-
bility whatever 70 indemnify the
grantees for abruptly terminatine the
Iicense. Neither did the Hndaon's Bay
Oompany pretend 10 assert q claim for
privation Of benefits. the enjoyment OF
Which for Q prescribed term, Il miRhl
have been supposed, had bean RuarAn-
teed. In British Territory ''pOsssssory
rights" ceased 10 exist with the
termination Of the license which
conferred their enisymens. By the
treaty Of 1886, the United ssstss hsd
stipulated 20 respect those identical
"p0ssessoFy rights" attaching under the
same license when exercised In the
American Oregon. British opinion &C.
oribed an entirely different siRnihcance
TO that term, under that treaty. As
against the United states. those rights
we're construed as continaine and Pro-
pristaFy interests, extinguishable 0aly
by purchase by the United States. A
claim was afterwaRd prosecuted By the
British Government against the United
States for eh0oo. .o0o, the alleged valae
of the "posssssory EiRhta." in the Ter.
FitoFies Of Oregon and Washington.
The fact boldly appears that the British
Government maintained for its gran
tees, the Hudson Bay Company, and
thFeagh the latter and by and for u, its
Of shoot, alias the Puget Sound AeFi-
cultural Company, with no other or
greater tenure conferred than that iden.
tioal revoked license thai such s'posses-
sorry rights" continued for nine years
subsequent 10 the actual expiration OF
the license, entitled the Hudson Bay
Company TO compensation By the
Uaited States for their abandonment.
Was Il net rather the duty Of Great
when she license and the rights
oOafeFred thereby had expired, like q
lood neiRhbog, 70 have compelled the
irawn from Americas territory? After
The expiration Of that license, the Hud-
ION Bay Company had become mere ten
snts at suferance Of Washington Ter
ritory and Oregon. Courtesy alone Of
he United States permitted continu-
,nce upon American soil OF that for
,igu trading corporation 30 tnimical
% American methods, quasi hos
lie 20 American supremacy. The per
mission to trade In the territory west Of
he Rocky Mountains only continued
While the license continued. When
treat Britain recalled and revoked that
rant, all rights under the license, In.
,ludinQ right 10 be present tn American
erFitory, also ceased. Il became the
lugy Of the British 0overnmeut TO have
elieved forthwith the territory Of the
United States, friendly foreign power,
rom the presence Of their creature. q
reature declared by that Government
o be dangerous and huFtful TO British
and settlement, for which
eason had been terminated the grant
o it Of its every territorial right. Good
morals and q just system Of inteFna-
ioual ethics would seem 20 have do
ated such g course for the British Gov
Fnment 10 have adopted towards the
United States IN 1853, instead Of lend-
ng itself In 1863, while the United
ltates waa In the throes OF the great
truqgle for national existence, 10 exact
ribute IN the name Of such company
or landed rights 10 WaahiBgton and
oregon. an get which may With more
nstice be termed levyinR international
,lackmail. The Fraser river excite
neut 10 therefore interesting In q Ma
ional viev because u provoked the
Of the British Government
eonstEuing the measure
" privileges, franchises and tenure Of
be Hudsea Bay Company under she
license Of exclusive trade tn the terri
ory vest Of the Rocky Mountains. and
be autIes and obligations Of the British
70 said company upon the
recall Of the grant. By the decision Of
hat Government no vested rights had
attached 10 the territory. no ''possossory
riRhta." Surely u oann0t for . moment
V eontsndsd that The United States
could be placed FiQhtfully
under any greater liability. No sooner
iid British Oregon, nov British Co
Iumbia, begin TO attract settlers than
Sir Z. BuiWeF Lytton, speaking as one
Of the British Cabinet the will OF abe
British Government, set at rest ell pre-
lensions Of proprietary claim, all con-
tinuing rights OF equities supposed 10
attach to snch q license Of trade. al
tboaah such license had necessarily
carried with II q permission v occupy
territory. The oompany's private
property will be protected IN oOmmOn
wfth that Of her Msjessy's abieots; bat
they have ne claim whatever for com
sensation for the loss Of their exclusive
sraAs, which they only poasessod sub
Iecs 70 this FiQht Of revocation"
In the one instance. the British Gov
ernment bad restricted its grantees 10
what ''is denoninated In the bond iE
the other, Il throws into she soais its
vast ssorals 10 assert fer those same
grantees the Fieht-and claims for them
the opportunity 10 desp0ii friandly
natiou. This international display Of
the relations Of mean and taum, pre
sents Q contrast 90 vast THAI the lesson
may Be dvels upon with interest and
even bsnshk where h saoh another
ef the thorough and practi
eal working Of the British Government
In saving and preserving British bene
fiss, as this attsupa.d ascription Of lie
biiity 10 the United States. aasignee Of
he gFantor. By virtue Of the treaty OF
1886, a liability which the British Gov
ernmsut, the Rrantor and primarily
liable ~ she license crested any liabil
ity) 80 summariiy aisavousd IN 1852
An exhibition Of British dipiomaeJ